Muscatine Art Center Hosting A Whale Of A Show
Kimble Bromley, Professor of Art at North Dakota State University, will exhibit his Moby-Dick painting series at the Muscatine Art Center from February 15th through April 12th, 2018. Bromley’s work has been inspired by environments in which he lives and has visited, as well as being influenced by Herman Melville and Moby-Dick. Universal themes as read in the book, Moby-Dick, are discovered in these expressive and personal paintings. Ultimately these paintings are about persevering, moving ahead, living life.
In thinking about his work, Bromley reflects that, “one encounters many surprises in life, both good and bad.” He continues, “My “Moby-Dick” series of paintings are works of art dealing with the varied issues involving these surprises life presents. These paintings develop from my own personal life experiences, life experiences I see reflected as Melville presents aboard the Pequod. These experiences are human experiences we can all relate to in some way. Moby-Dick is rich with emotional detail and experiences one may face in life.”
Bromley, in addition to being on the faculty of North Dakota State University, is a creativity consultant, working with clients nationally and internationally. At the close of the exhibition, Bromley will visit Muscatine and attend a public reception in the evening of Thursday, April 12th. Then, on Friday, April 13th, Bromley will offer a creativity workshop in the Student Center on the Muscatine Community College campus from 12:30 1:30 p.m. The workshop is offered free of charge.
Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center, remarked, “People other than artists and writers struggle with blocks in creativity. While Bromley teaches studio art, I hope many in Muscatine will attend the workshop and benefit from new ideas or techniques.”
The significance of hypnosis on creativity is an area of research for Bromley, and hypnosis is one component of his studio classes. Bromley explains, “Dr. James Council of the Psychology Department and I, have been researching the significance of hypnosis on creativity. Our research article, “Hypnotic Enhancement of Creative Drawing”, has been published in an international professional journal. Hypnosis, approved by the American Medical Association in 1958, is simply a very natural state of mind, combining deep relaxation and guided imagery.”
Bromley received his M.F.A. from Southern Illinois at Carbondale and has served as a visiting artist throughout the upper Midwest, Ecuador and Mexico. He has painted abroad in Cuba, Jamaica, Ecuador, and Mexico. His work has been exhibited regionally, nationally and internationally and supported by grants from Lake Region Arts Council Minnesota, Kellogg, Teagle/Bell South, and Partners of the Americas.
The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.
